Chapter 1032: You Finally Spoke Sweet Words to Me
Editor: Henyee Translations

How unlucky can one get?

“We can discuss this later. For now, just give me the sword,” Xuan Louze said politely.

“No way,” the Xuan family head shouted. “Get out!”

Xuan Louze’s eyes glinted dangerously. He raised his hand, and a powerful force shot towards the family head. With a series of crashes, the table in front of him shattered into pieces. Everything else turned to dust, except for the people and their chairs, who were left covered in a thick layer of dust, looking quite pathetic.

“Ah-choo! Ah-choo!” The room filled with the sound of coughing.

The family head was stunned and then furiously retaliated, only to be punched into the wall by Xuan Louze. The entire room shook from the impact.

Everyone else, “…”

Fifth Master Xuan, covered in dust, shouted angrily, “You wretched child, get your grandfather down now!”

Xuan Louze spun around, sending Fifth Master Xuan flying into the wall as well. “Give me the sword, or I’ll embed each of you in the walls.”

Xuan Daye, now a bit afraid of Xuan Louze, opened a hidden compartment in the wall, revealing a rectangular box with the sword inside.

He handed the box to Xuan Louze. “Here you go.”

Xuan Louze reached for the box’s latch, opening it. A puff of white smoke flew towards him, which he casually waved away before taking out the sword. He tossed the box aside and left the study.

The others were dumbfounded. The white smoke was highly toxic, enough to kill a hundred pigs, yet Xuan Louze was unaffected. Had the poison lost its potency?

Xuan Louze smirked, thinking to himself that poison was the least of his worries. What a bunch of fools.

He returned to his courtyard with the sword.

This sword, forged from black gold, had a sleek, narrow blade with a sharp, dark-gold edge. It was both powerful and beautiful.

The sword’s hilt was engraved with a golden crow, its wings spread wide, casting a shadow over the earth.

Xuan Louze took out the key and compared it to the black gold sword. He noticed that the key was also engraved with a golden crow, clearly from the same family.

Xuan Louze smiled, pleased with his unexpected find. This trip was worth it.

As night fell, Xuan Louze secured his new possessions with a spell. Anyone who tried to take them without his permission would meet a swift death.

Just as he finished, a figure appeared. He smiled, “Jinghong.”

Tang Jinghong walked over. “You recognized me instantly.”

“I see you with my heart, not my eyes.” Xuan Louze reverted to Chu Qingzhi’s appearance and approached Tang Jinghong. “What brings you here?”

“I missed you,” Tang Jinghong said, gently pulling Chu Qingzhi into his arms, inhaling the scent of her hair and feeling a sense of peace.

Recently, he had dreamt of Chu Qingzhi returning to the heavenly realm, leaving him behind despite his efforts to catch up. He had woken up feeling anxious and immediately arranged his duties to come find her.

“General Tang is now getting sentimental?” Chu Qingzhi teased with a smile.

“Meeting you, I can’t help it.” Tang Jinghong thought about what he cherished most, and without hesitation, he chose Chu Qingzhi. He would willingly give his life for her.

Chu Qingzhi laughed, “You finally said sweet words to me.”

Tang Jinghong cleared his throat, a bit embarrassed. “I’ll say them every day from now on.”

“Alright, say another one,” Chu Qingzhi joked.

Tang Jinghong gathered his emotions and solemnly said, “Qingzhi, I like you more than I like myself.”

Chu Qingzhi felt a wave of warmth in her heart. She leaned out of his embrace slightly and kissed him.

The kiss sent a tremor through Tang Jinghong.

Chu Qingzhi pulled away slowly.

Tang Jinghong quickly pulled her back and kissed her again, deeply and passionately.

A brief kiss was not enough to quell his deep longing. He had suppressed his feelings for half a year, almost going mad with longing for Qingzhi.

Chu Qingzhi smiled inwardly, finding the contrast between his cold exterior and passionate nature amusing.

They kissed for a long time in the room.

…

“Let’s go out for a good meal?” Chu Qingzhi bit her lip. Tang Jinghong had been like a wild beast this time, and her lips were starting to feel sore.

Tang Jinghong took her hand and flew out the window. Together, they arrived at Dong Lai Shun restaurant.

They ordered a large meal.

Halfway through, Chu Qingzhi heard Xia Yuncheng’s voice. “Jinghong, the Tenth Prince of Xia Sang Kingdom is also at the restaurant.”

Tang Jinghong was puzzled. “Didn’t he return to Xia Sang Kingdom?”

“He came to the Xuan mansion today, saying he’s here for the succession ceremony,” Chu Qingzhi whispered to Tang Jinghong. “He’s one of my people. After we eat, let’s go meet him.”

Tang Jinghong, “…”

Chu Qingzhi kept an ear on the movements next door, noting the comings and goings of several people. Eventually, only Xia Yuncheng remained in the private room.

Chu Qingzhi said, “Jinghong, let’s go see him.”

She performed a spell, transforming into Chu Tang, and Tang Jinghong into Zeng Huo. They left their room and went to the neighboring one.

Xia Yuncheng was visibly surprised to see Chu Tang. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see the Xuan family’s succession ceremony.” Chu Tang sat down, Zeng Huo standing beside him.

Xia Yuncheng hesitated for a moment before confessing, “After returning to the capital and using the methods you taught me, I gained my father’s trust. He then tasked me with handling the Xuan family’s defection.”

“Is there a hidden motive behind the Xuan family’s defection?” Chu Tang asked perceptively.

“I’m not sure, but after the succession ceremony, the Xuan family’s first task is to assassinate Tang Jinghong. This is their pledge of loyalty to Xia Sang Kingdom. If they succeed, Xia Sang will immediately wage war on Dalin and invade the eastern border.”

Chu Tang’s heart tightened. “Do you have any evidence?”

“On the outskirts of Chen’an, facing Xia Sang Kingdom, an army is already poised for action. The people of Chen’an…”

“Why hasn’t Dalin’s intelligence discovered anything?” Chu Tang was puzzled.

“Because they are disguised as Chen’an soldiers. Who would suspect?” Xia Yuncheng didn’t want war and hoped Chu Tang would inform Tang Jinghong to prevent it.

Chu Tang had another question. “Did the people of Chen’an all die from the epidemic?”

Xia Yuncheng shook his head slowly, though not entirely certain. “No, Chen’an had many people two years ago. It’s only this past year that their numbers have dwindled, but I don’t know where they’ve gone.”